COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Occupational Earnings of Full-time Healthcare Workers in Civilian Hospitals, 2008
by Elizabeth Dietz
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Originally Posted: February 24, 2010
This article uses National Compensation Survey data to compare earnings among full-time healthcare workers in civilian
hospitals with those in the civilian sector as a whole; it also compares earnings of hospital healthcare workers by work level.
The findings show that there are significant differences in hourly earnings by work level for many of the healthcare
occupations examined in this study.
U.S. hospitals1 employ about 5.8 million workers2 in a complex work environment, providing intensive medical care to treat
acute illnesses or injuries for about 35 million patients annually.3 In 2008, hospitals took in revenues of $1.7 trillion.4
Considering the size of the hospital industry in the United States and the projected employment growth of healthcare
occupations over the next decade,5 an analysis of current wages of hospital healthcare workers is timely. This article uses
the 2008 National Compensation Survey (NCS) earnings estimates to discuss earnings differences between full-time workers
in civilian hospitals and those in the civilian sector as a whole.6 Then, the article analyzes the earnings of full-time civilian
hospital healthcare workers by occupation and work level. The article finds that there are significant differences in hourly
earnings by work level for many of the healthcare occupations studied.
U.S. hospitals employ workers in a wide variety of occupations that are found in other industries, including such occupations
as computer support specialists, human resources managers, accountants and auditors, and building and grounds cleaning
and maintenance workers; hospitals also employ workers, in occupations specific to the medical field, such as medical and
clinical laboratory technologists, radiation therapists, and diagnostic medical sonographers. Within many of the healthcare
occupations, there is a wide range of skills required and differences in on-the-job duties and responsibilities among workers.
Also, workers may work full time or part time and be unionized, and there may be institutional differences in the types of jobs
offered and pay practices between private industry and State and local government employers. Occupational earnings reflect
these factors. Furthermore, earnings are only part of the total compensation of workers; benefits represent about 32 percent
of total compensation costs in private hospitals and about 35 percent of such costs in State and local government hospitals.7
The value of the benefits package offered may affect the wages workers are willing to accept.
The National Compensation Survey (NCS), which provides comprehensive measures of occupational earnings,
compensation cost trends, the incidence of benefits, and benefit plan provisions, publishes a national annual bulletin on the
occupational earnings of civilian8 workers--defined by the NCS as those who work in private industry and in State and local
government establishments. The NCS has published national data on the occupational earnings of hospital workers annually
since the 2006 survey year.9 The most recent data, for the 2008 survey year, include hourly earnings estimates for all
workers, full-time workers, and part-time workers who are employed by hospitals in the civilian sector as a whole, those in
private industry, and those in State and local government, by work level.10 Relative standard errors are available for each
estimate.11
Earnings Of Full-time Civilian Healthcare Workers: Hospitals And All Civilian Industries
Full-time healthcare practitioners and technical occupations--professions such as physicians and surgeons, registered
nurses, medical technologists and technicians, and therapists--are found throughout the civilian sector, most commonly in
hospitals, ambulatory care centers, doctors offices, community centers, schools, nursing homes, and health units in
business establishments. As table 1 shows, healthcare practitioners and technical workers in hospitals earned an average of
$29.07 per hour, while those in the civilian sector as a whole earned $30.23 per hour.
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COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Table 1. Mean hourly earnings for selected healthcare occupations, full-time workers, civilian sector and civilian
hospitals, 2008
Occupation
All industries
Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations
Hospitals only
$30.23
$29.07
63.24
(-)
61.81
(-)
Dietitians and nutritionists
23.48
26.09
Optometrists
54.01
(-)
Pharmacists
51.54
50.45
Physicians and surgeons
76.46
46.99
108.49
(-)
Family and general practitioners
77.95
60.00
Internists, general
74.16
30.89
Pediatricians, general
53.51
69.89
Psychiatrists
74.83
76.58
Surgeons
86.23
(-)
Physician assistants
42.58
41.43
Registered nurses
31.54
31.93
Therapists
31.11
28.57
Dentists
Dentists, general
Anesthesiologists
Audiologists
33.19
(-)
Occupational therapists
34.26
32.19
Physical therapists
33.74
32.88
Radiation therapists
39.99
35.37
Recreational therapists
18.76
19.80
Respiratory therapists
24.96
25.21
Speech-language pathologists
35.01
31.02
Veterinarians
43.30
(-)
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
20.43
20.99
Medical and clinical laboratory technologists
24.55
25.30
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians
17.50
17.39
Dental hygienists
31.32
(-)
Diagnostic related technologists and technicians
27.39
26.32
Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
26.50
26.05
Diagnostic medical sonographers
32.17
33.83
Nuclear medicine technologists
36.32
34.20
Radiologic technologists and technicians
26.01
25.28
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics
15.74
20.11
Health diagnosing and treating practitioner support technicians
16.67
17.53
11.05
(-)
Dietetic technicians
A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.
Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 3, “Full-time civilian workers: Mean and
median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours;” and table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals: Mean
and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours;” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/
ncswage2008.htm.
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COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Occupation
All industries
Hospitals only
Pharmacy technicians
14.89
15.38
Psychiatric technicians
16.89
16.76
Respiratory therapy technicians
22.53
22.52
Surgical technologists
19.32
18.99
Veterinary technologists and technicians
14.32
(-)
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
19.04
18.45
Medical records and health information technicians
16.48
17.73
Opticians, dispensing
18.14
(-)
Miscellaneous health technologists and technicians
18.50
19.39
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians
26.99
(-)
Occupational health and safety specialists
26.75
(-)
20.27
22.17
18.43
(-)
12.90
13.34
11.53
12.77
Home health aides
10.24
12.20
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
11.71
12.68
Psychiatric aides
12.55
13.32
Miscellaneous healthcare practitioner and technical workers
Athletic trainers
Healthcare support occupations
Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides
Occupational therapist assistants and aides
18.73
19.40
Occupational therapist assistants
22.05
19.75
Occupational therapist aides
12.65
(-)
Physical therapist assistants and aides
18.49
15.78
Physical therapist assistants
24.21
19.70
Physical therapist aides
11.88
12.69
Massage therapists
20.03
(-)
Miscellaneous healthcare support occupations
14.45
14.55
Dental assistants
17.24
(-)
Medical assistants
13.70
14.42
Medical equipment preparers
14.80
15.81
Medical transcriptionists
15.04
14.91
Pharmacy aides
11.99
12.02
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
12.56
(-)
A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.
Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 3, “Full-time civilian workers: Mean and
median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours;” and table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals: Mean
and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours;” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/
ncswage2008.htm.
Full-time physicians and surgeons as a group earned an average of $76.46 per hour in the civilian economy as a whole. By
contrast, full-time physicians and surgeons in hospitals earned an average of $46.99 per hour, with a median of only $27.56.
These seemingly incongruous findings merit a closer look at the data.
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COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Earnings Of Full-time Physicians And Surgeons And Registered Nurses, In Hospitals
NCS raw data on physicians and surgeons' full-time earnings in hospitals were clustered in two areas--at about $24 per hour
and $86 per hour--rather than spread in a normal (centralized) distribution around the mean. What is a likely reason for this?
In civilian hospitals, the average full-time hourly earnings of general internists was $30.89 per hour--significantly lower than
for general internists in the civilian sector as a whole ($74.16). The relatively low earnings of full-time general internists
employed in civilian hospitals are due in part to the fact that this occupation is heavily populated by residents--medical
doctors in their first year of clinical practice, who are working towards a State licensure, or those working towards certification
in a medical specialty.12 Residents typically work long hours compared with other full-time hospital physicians and surgeons.
The number of hours worked by hospital residents is discussed more in the section of this article on work levels.
The Nations 2,542,760 registered nurses,13 represent the largest healthcare occupation--more than a third of all healthcare
professionals.14 About 60 percent of registered nurses work in hospitals.15 Registered nurses who work full time in hospitals
earned $31.93 per hour--not significantly different than the average earned by their counterparts the civilian economy as a
whole ($31.54). Like physicians and surgeons, registered nurses are not a homogenous group in terms of their work
environment, duties and responsibilities, and the skills and formal education they are required to have and use on the job.16
Considering the complexity of the hospital environment, richer data can provide more useful information on the earnings of
healthcare workers. The NCS provides these data.
Earnings By Work Level Among Full-time Healthcare Workers In Civilian Hospitals
The National Compensation Survey evaluates each surveyed job for work level, which is a classification of duties and
responsibilities performed by the worker.17 Work levels are used in pay-grade systems to determine wages and salaries-typically, the higher the work level, the higher the pay grade.18 As a worker attains more experience on the job or receives
additional training or education, the worker can take on greater responsibilities and increase the complexity or difficulty of
duties performed on the job--in turn, he or she may be evaluated at a higher work level.
In the NCS, occupations are evaluated for work levels 1 through 15. In the civilian sector, occupations such as chief
executives are typically found at the highest work levels; elementary and middle school teachers and paralegals and legal
assistants are generally in the mid-range; and waiters and waitresses, crossing guards, and taxi drivers and chauffeurs are at
the lowest work levels. Some occupations are found in a wide range of work levels. For example, accountants and auditors
worked at levels 5 through 13, and engineers worked at levels 5 through 15.
For the 2008 data on civilian hospital healthcare workers, there was no occupation with publishable estimates above level 13,
and no occupation covered all 13 levels. The distribution of occupational estimates by level in table 2 shows that there is
generally a correlation of earnings with work level--the higher the work level, the higher the hourly earnings. Many
occupations encompass a range of duties and responsibilities, and earnings tend to reflect this. In this sense, earnings data
by occupational work level offer more information than occupational earnings data alone.
Table 2. Mean hourly earnings of selected occupations, by work level, full-time, civilian hospital healthcare workers,
2008
Occupation
Healthcare practitioner and
technical occupations
All
levels
$29.07
Work level
1
(-)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
(-)$12.89 $15.37 $18.73 $21.66 $25.53$29.99$31.83$40.12$43.74$70.31$83.80
A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.
Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals:
Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/
ncswage2008.htm.
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COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Occupation
All
levels
Work level
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
(-)
12
13
Dietitians and nutritionists
26.09
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 25.06
(-) 26.34
(-)
(-)
(-)
Pharmacists
50.45
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 49.73 49.66 50.81
(-)
(-)
Physicians and surgeons
46.99
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 21.84 23.90 27.67 76.08 88.36
Family and general
practitioners
60.00
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Psychiatrists
76.58
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 75.49
Registered nurses
31.93
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 24.06 25.86 30.49 31.46 40.25 44.03
Therapists
(-) 90.00
(-)
(-)
(-)
28.57
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 21.32 23.63 25.04 29.09 33.35 35.87
(-)
(-)
(-)
Occupational therapists
32.19
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 31.34 32.82
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Physical therapists
32.88
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 32.08 31.21 34.57
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Recreational therapists
19.80
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 19.59
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Respiratory therapists
25.21
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 21.31 24.63 27.10 29.45
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Clinical laboratory technologists
and technicians
20.99
(-)
(-) 13.08 15.11 18.79 22.78 24.81 25.18 29.52
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Medical and clinical laboratory
technologists
25.30
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Medical and clinical laboratory
technicians
17.39
(-)
(-) 13.08 15.19 18.73 22.36
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Diagnostic related technologists
and technicians
26.32
(-)
(-)
(-) 14.21 22.52 23.20 27.13 30.02 39.02
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Cardiovascular technologists
and technicians
26.05
(-)
(-)
(-) 13.77 23.19 23.21
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
33.83
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 37.88
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Radiologic technologists and
technicians
25.28
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 21.86 22.99 26.15 29.47 34.74
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Emergency medical technicians
and paramedics
20.11
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 18.94 21.55
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Health diagnosing and treating
practitioner support technicians
17.53
(-)
(-) 12.38 14.75 17.92 20.98 21.83
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Pharmacy technicians
15.38
(-)
(-)
(-) 13.93 17.62
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Psychiatric technicians
16.76
(-)
(-)
(-) 13.36 16.22 20.53
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Respiratory therapy
technicians
22.52
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 21.95
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Surgical technologists
Diagnostic medical
sonographers
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 24.27 25.23 25.14 29.52
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 34.33
(-)
(-)
18.99
(-)
(-)
(-) 17.12 18.14 21.09
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Licensed practical and licensed
vocational nurses
18.45
(-)
(-)
(-) 16.44 18.01 19.69 20.99
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Medical records and health
information technicians
17.73
(-)
(-) 13.79 15.47 17.27 20.12
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Miscellaneous health
technologists and technicians
19.39
(-)
(-)
(-) 22.32
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 16.78 18.17
A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.
Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals:
Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/
ncswage2008.htm.
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COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Occupation
Healthcare support occupations
Nursing, psychiatric, and home
health aides
All
levels
$ 13.34
Work level
1
2
$
3
$
4
5
$
$
6
$
7
$
8
$
9.91 11.38 12.55 14.13 15.71 18.99 21.41
9
10
11
12
13
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
12.779.9211.21 12.57 14.01 14.10 16.97
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Nursing aides, orderlies, and
attendants
12.689.9211.16 12.50 14.23 14.62
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Psychiatric aides
13.32
(-)12.13 13.25 13.18 13.97 16.97
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Occupational therapist
assistants and aides
19.40
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Physical therapist assistants and
aides
15.78
(-)
(-) 12.22 13.76 18.91
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Physical therapist assistants
19.70
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Physical therapist aides
12.69
(-)
(-) 12.22 12.25
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Miscellaneous healthcare
support occupations
14.55
(-)12.47 12.51 14.38 16.56 19.21
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Medical assistants
14.42
(-)
(-) 11.68 14.77 13.80
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Medical equipment preparers
15.81
(-)
(-) 13.60 15.28
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
Medical transcriptionists
14.91
(-)
(-)
(-) 14.24 17.61
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-) 19.31
(-) 18.91
(-)
A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.
Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals:
Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/
ncswage2008.htm.
The value of earnings data by work level is perhaps best illustrated for the earnings of registered nurses. A person using the
title “registered nurse” must be registered in the State in which he or she works and must have a recognized degree in
nursing.19 Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) include nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse
specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists; APRNs hold a post-graduate degree and specialized certification.
Greater levels of education make it possible for registered nurses to take on greater on-the-job duties and responsibilities-thus, to work at higher work levels and earn higher pay rates.
Formal training and education aside, more years of experience on the job also makes it possible for registered nurses to
assume greater duties and responsibilities. Entry-level registered nurses provide care such as administering prescribed
drugs, recording case histories, and taking blood pressure, pulse, and temperature readings. Nurses at higher levels consult
with attending physicians to reevaluate medical treatment and may conduct established clinical procedures and provide
specialized nursing care--for example, for heart and vascular disease patients. Some nurses may also supervise others on
staff to ensure appropriate care for each patient. Certain hospital settings, such as intensive care units, operating and
recovery rooms, emergency rooms, childbirth labor and delivery sections, and outpatient units, require specialized knowledge
in addition to the formal education required for basic nursing.20
The NCS does not collect demographic data on surveyed workers, such as years of education completed, professional
degrees achieved, or years of job experience. However, by assessing the work-level of the job--the actual duties performed
and the responsibilities borne by the worker--the earnings estimates by work level take into account the de facto results of
education, experience, and any other qualities of the worker. Considering all of these factors, it is not surprising that earnings
and work levels of registered nurses vary widely. Full-time registered nurses in civilian hospitals earned, on average, $31.93
per hour, with a range of $24.06 at level 6 to $44.03 at level 11.
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COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
The average earnings of civilian hospital physicians and surgeons are also made clearer using work-level data. Full-time
hospital physicians and surgeons earned an average of $46.99 per hour, ranging from $21.84 at level 9 (typically residents)
to $88.36 at level 13 (typically surgeons and specialists). Level-9 hospital physicians and surgeons worked an average of
46.2 hours per week, for weekly earnings of $1,008. By contrast, level-13 hospital physicians and surgeons worked an
average of 40 hours per week, for weekly earnings of $3,534.
Full-time hospital workers in healthcare support occupations earned an average of $13.34 per hour, ranging from $9.91 at
level 1 to $21.41 at level 7. Hourly earnings ranged from $12.68 per hour for nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants to
$19.70 per hour for physical therapist assistants. Healthcare support occupations generally showed less variation in earnings
by work level than healthcare practitioner and technical occupations.
Table 3 lists the hourly earnings of full-time healthcare workers in civilian hospitals at the lowest and highest publishable work
levels.21 The occupations selected for this table are those in which there was a significant earnings difference between the
highest and lowest publishable work levels. This table is included to show that earnings estimates by work level give greater
information than earnings estimates by occupation alone.
Table 3. Mean hourly earnings of full-time workers in selected healthcare occupations, highest and lowest publishable
work level, civilian hospitals, National Compensation Survey, 2008
Occupation
Lowest level
Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations
Highest level
$ 12.89 (level 3)
$ 83.80 (level 13)
Physicians and surgeons
21.84 (level 9)
88.36 (level 13)
Registered nurses
24.06 (level 6)
44.03 (level 11)
Therapists
21.32 (level 5)
35.87 (level 10)
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
13.08 (level 3)
29.52 (level 9)
Medical and clinical laboratory technologists
24.27 (level 6)
29.52 (level 9)
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians
13.08 (level 3)
22.36 (level 6)
Diagnostic related technologists and technicians
14.21 (level 4)
39.02 (level 9)
Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
13.77 (level 4)
23.21 (level 6)
Radiologic technologists and technicians
21.86 (level 5)
34.74 (level 9)
12.38 (level 3)
21.83 (level 7)
13.36 (level 4)
20.53 (level 6)
13.79 (level 3)
20.12 (level 6)
9.91 (level 1)
21.41 (level 7)
9.92 (level 1)
16.97 (level 6)
Health diagnosing and treating practitioner support technicians
Psychiatric technicians
Medical records and health information technicians
Healthcare support occupations
Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
9.92 (level 1)
14.62 (level 5)
12.13 (level 2)
16.97 (level 6)
Physical therapist assistants and aides
12.22 (level 3)
18.91 (level 5)
Miscellaneous healthcare support occupations
12.47 (level 2)
19.21 (level 6)
Psychiatric aides
Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals:
Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/
ncswage2008.htm.
The release of the 2008 National Compensation Survey occupational earnings data on workers in hospitals is the third
annual presentation of such data, which add greater detail to an already rich source of data. Occupational earnings by work
level, a measure unique to the NCS, reveals a wide range in earnings for several healthcare occupations in civilian hospitals.
Work-level data provide particular insight into the pay of full-time physicians and surgeons and registered nurses employed
by civilian hospitals (private and State and local combined). The NCS also provides earnings estimates of workers in private
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COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
hospitals and in State and local government hospitals separately, including those who work part time (a topic that warrants
further study.)22 BLS plans to release the 2009 NCS national earnings data in a summer 2010 publication.
Elizabeth Dietz
Economist, Division of Compensation Data Analysis and Planning, Office of Compensation and Working Conditions, Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
Telephone: (202) 691-5177; E-mail: [email protected].
End Notes
1 The term hospitals is used throughout the article to denote hospital employers within the scope of the National Compensation Survey (NCS).
The NCS collects wage data on workers in hospitals defined under NAICS code 622000, which includes general medical and surgical
hospitals, psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, and specialty hospitals. Under the NCS, Federal government, military, and prison
hospitals are excluded.
2 Hospitals (NAICS code 622000) employed 5,782,200 employees in August 2009, according to the BLS Current Employment Statistics
survey. This figure includes employment in total private hospitals, State government hospitals, and local government hospitals. See
Employment and Earnings, November 2009, table B-12, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by Detailed Industry,” pp. 91, 93, on the Internet at
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ee/empearn200911.pdf.
3 American Hospital Association, 2008 survey, “Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals,” Health Forum LLC, 2009, November 11, 2009 update, on the
Internet, at http://www.aha.org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/fast-facts.html. The American Hospital Association (AHA) defines
community hospitals as “all nonfederal, short-term general, and other special hospitals. Other special hospitals include obstetrics and
gynecology; eye, ear, nose, and throat; rehabilitation; orthopedic; and other individually described specialty services. Community hospitals
include academic medical centers or other teaching hospitals if they are nonfederal short-term hospitals. Excluded are hospitals not accessible
by the general public, such as prison hospitals or college infirmaries.” AHA 2008 data show that there are 5,010 community hospitals and 447
nonfederal psychiatric hospitals, for a total of 5,457 hospitals that, in general terms, approximate the NCS scope and definition of hospital
employers.
4 Gross patient revenues, 2008, American Hospital Directory, Hospital Statistics, available on the Internet at http://www.ahd.com/
state_statistics.html, September 24, 2009 update. According to this publication, there were 4,037 nonfederal, short-term, acute care hospitals
in the United States in 2008.
5 Employment Projections, 2008-18, USDL-09-1503 (U.S. Department of Labor), December 11, 2009, Occupational Employment, p. 3, on the
Internet at: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf.
6 Differences in earnings between healthcare workers in private industry and those in State and local government hospitals, and differences in
earnings between full-time and part-time hospital healthcare workers are surely grounds for additional study; however, this article focuses on
the earnings of full-time healthcare workers in civilian hospitals.
7 Employee Costs for Employee Compensation, Historical Listing, March 2004-September 2009, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, table 8,
“State and local government workers, by industry group: employer costs per hours worked for employee compensation and costs as a
percentage of total compensation, 2004-2009,” p.69, Hospitals, December 2008; and table 28, “Private industry workers, hospitals by
occupational group: Employer costs per hours worked for employee compensation and costs as a percentage of total compensation,
2004-2009,” p.288, December 2008; on the Internet, at ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ocwc/ect/ececqrtn.pdf.
8 The NCS defines civilian sector workers as those employed in State and local government and those in private industry; it excludes
agricultural, Federal, military, household, and self-employed workers.
9 National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2006, Bulletin 2590 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, September
2007), on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2006.htm. For NCS national earnings archives, see 2009 National Compensation
Survey Publications List, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncspubs.htm.
10 See tables 34, 35, and 36, respectively, of National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, Bulletin 2720
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2009), on the Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2008.htm#Wage_Tables.
11 See relative standard error (RSE) table 34 in National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, Bulletin
2720 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2009), on the Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2008.htm#RSE. (There are no RSE tables
35 and 36 because the relative standard errors are included in data tables 35 and 36, respectively.)
12 For more information on medical residency, see Becoming a Physician on the American Medical Association Web site at http://www.amaassn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician.shtml.
13 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) data show that a total of 2,542,760 registered nurses worked in nonfarm establishments
throughout the United States in May 2008. See: http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes291111.htm.
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14 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey data show that in May 2008 there were 7,076,800 employed in healthcare practitioner
and technical occupations. See Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2008: http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes290000.htm.
15 The May 2008 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey data show that 1,458,520 registered nurses work in general medical and
surgical hospitals (NAICS code 622100); see Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oes/
2008/may/naics4_622100.htm#b29-0000; 33,100 were employed in psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals (NAICS code 622200); see the
page at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/naics4_622200.htm#b29-0000; and 43,820 in specialty hospitals (NAICS code 622300); see the
page at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/naics4_622300.htm#b29-0000; for a total of 1,535,440 in all hospitals (NAICS code 622000).
Registered nurses working in hospitals make up approximately 60 percent of all registered nurses ((1,535,440/2,542,760)*100=60). For more
information, see that page at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes291111.htm. There are some differences in the scope of the NCS and the
OES, which affect the proportion noted here. See the technical notes of the May 2008 Occupational Employment Survey annual wage survey
at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes_tec.htm.
16 According to SOC code 29-1111 (posted October 21, 2001; 2000 edition of the SOC), registered nurses assess patient health problems
and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or
disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration
required. Include advance practice nurses such as: nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and certified
registered nurse anesthetists. Advanced practice nursing is practiced by registered nurses who have specialized formal, post-basic education
and who function in highly autonomous and specialized roles. See Standard Occupational Classification, “29-1141 Registered Nurses,” on the
Internet at http://www.bls.gov/soc/soc_291141.htm.
17 For detail on job leveling, see National Compensation Survey: Guide for Evaluating Your Firm's Jobs and Pay, (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
October 2003), on the Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/sp/ncbr0004.pdf.
18 See “Basics of Grade Structures,” by David Creelman, 2004, posted on the Internet at http://www.speedeeo.com/Library/
BasicsofSalaryGrades.pdf.
19 To become a registered nurse, an individual must graduate from a State-approved school of nursing--either a 4-year university program, a
2-year associate degree program, or a 3-year diploma program--and pass a State licensing examination called the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). See American Nursing Association, Nursing World, “Nursing Education,” on the Internet at
http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/StudentNurses/Education.aspx (accessed January 28, 2010).
20 see National Compensation Survey: Guide for Evaluating Your Firm's Jobs and Pay, (Bureau of Labor Statistics, October 2003), on the
Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/sp/ncbr0004.pdf.
21 Among occupations with two or more published estimates by work level.
22 See tables 34, 35, and 36 in National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, Bulletin 2720 (Bureau of
Labor Statistics, August 2009), on the Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2008.htm#Wage_Tables.
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